Quinoa and Black Beans

I swear in another life (after the life where I run a bakery in Paris, famous for its almond croissants) I want to be a South American gypsy. I love their magical literature (Marquez and Allende!), latin music, joie de vivre, and especially their food! I was introduced to Quinoa by a friend from Peru. It is a South American favorite! Quinoa is an excellent source of protein, gluten-free, high in antioxidants, a super anti-inflamatory, great source of fiber, and best of all, you can cook it in less than 15 minutes! This recipe is yummy and quite the crowd pleaser because once you make a big pot of it..you can mix it into a salad, make vegetarian tacos/tortillas, and a surprisingly tasty hamburger!

              Ingredients:

• 1 bag of Quinoa
• 1 29oz. can of Organic Black Beans (rinsed and drained)
• A whole bunch of fresh cilantro
• A swirl or two of olive oil
• Juice from 2 limes
• 2 avocados
• 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt on top
• Salt&Pepper to taste

1.Make the entire bag of quinoa. For every cup of quinoa, use 2 cups of water. Combine water and quinoa, bring to a boil, turn down heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Allow to cool for five minutes. Set aside.

2.Rinse and drain black beans. Combine beans, salt and pepper, juice from 2 limes, a swirl or two of olive oil, and 1-2 cups of chopped cilantro. Allow to simmer on the stove until it gets juicy.

3.Combine well the Quinoa and Black Beans. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle 1/4 of a cup of fresh chopped cilantro. Maybe another squeeze of lime to make it pucker into a smile! Top it with a scoop of creme fraiche or Greek yogurt.

Now, let’s get creative!

Salad: Make a mixed green salad, top it with the Quinoa&black bean mixture. I often include Honey crisp red apples, avocado, and a drizzle of  honey. It’s a salad worthy of a meal!

Tacos: I love the hand-made tortillas from Trader Joe’s (they are in the bread section and the label is written in blue ink…it says hand-made!) I make the tortillas with the quinoa& black beans, rough-chopped Romaine lettuce, diced cherry tomatoes, chopped up avocado, fresh mint, squeeze of lime and Crystal’s hot sauce!

Quinoa&Black Bean burgers à la Dude: On a baking sheet covered with tin foil and a little olive oil, spoon out quinoa & black beans (like cookie dough), press flat with a spoon and then put into the freezer so they will get hard. Pull out and throw on the grill or bake in the oven. We love on a toasted English muffin with a little greek yogurt, sliced avocado, dill pickles, and lettuce and tomato!

Buen Apetito!

Farrell